Hospital for Special Care (HSC) is now offering medically-supervised smoking cessation counseling sessions with both a medical doctor and a tobacco-treatment specialist.

A pulmonologist will exam and meet with each patient prior to the start of the cessation counseling sessions to provide a baseline assessment of lung health and assess the need for mediation. A tobacco-treatment specialist then will assess and guide the patient to formulate a quit plan. Both group and individual sessions are available and most are covered by insurance.

"Tobacco addiction is a large burden on healthcare and is responsible for a significant amount of disease and death," said Paul J. Scalise, M.D., chief clinical officer, sr. vice president of medical affairs, Hospital for Special Care. "This program is unique in that it pairs a practicing physician with a tobacco treatment specialist, something that we don't see that often."

The program will take participants through several lessons. Assessing lung health can help provide medical motivation while helping to prepare each participant to quit before the actual quit day happens. "The American Lung Association Freedom from Smoking Program is the gold standard for smoking cessation programs nationally, and it teaches adult smokers the skills and techniques they need to focus exclusively on how to quit, and more importantly, to stay quit," said Elyse Carroll, B.S., R.R.T., respiratory disease manager, Freedom From Smoking® facilitator and tobacco treatment specialist, Hospital for Special Care.

For more information on our medically supervised smoking cessation counseling and our smoking cessation programs or to make an appointment, please call Elyse Carroll B.S., R.R.T., respiratory disease manager, Hospital for Special Care at 860.832.6256.

About Hospital for Special Care

Hospital for Special Care (HSC) is one of the five largest, free-standing long-term acute care hospitals in the United States and the nation's only long-term acute-care hospital serving adults and children. HSC is recognized for advanced care and rehabilitation in pulmonary care, acquired brain injury, medically-complex pediatrics, neuromuscular disorders (including ALS research), spinal cord injury, comprehensive heart failure as well as diagnostic, assessment and consulting services for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

Located in New Britain and Hartford, CT, HSC operates inpatient and outpatient facilities serving Southern New England on a not-for-profit basis. For the latest news and information, please visit www.hfsc.org, and follow us on Twitter @HospSpecialCare.